Abstract: One illustrative method disclosed herein includes forming at least one fin, forming a first recessed layer of insulating material adjacent the at least one fin and forming epi semiconductor material on the at least one fin. In this example, the method also includes forming a second recessed layer of insulating material above the first recessed layer of insulating material, wherein at least a portion of the epi semiconductor material is positioned above a level of the upper surface of the second recessed layer of insulating material, and forming a source/drain contact structure above the second recessed layer of insulating material, wherein the source/drain contact structure is conductively coupled to the epi semiconductor material.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to stacked gate transistors and methods of manufacture. The structure includes a stacked gate structure having a plurality of transistors with at least one floating node and at least one node to either ground or a supply voltage, and a contact to either of the ground or supply voltage and the at least one floating node being devoid of any contact.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) comprising an enhanced passivation scheme for pad openings and trenches is provided. In some embodiments, an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer covers a substrate and at least partially defines a trench. The trench extends through the ILD layer from a top of the ILD layer to the substrate. A conductive pad overlies the ILD layer. A first passivation layer overlies the ILD layer and the conductive pad, and further defines a pad opening overlying the conductive pad. A second passivation layer overlies the ILD layer, the conductive pad, and the first passivation layer, and further lines sidewalls of the first passivation layer in the pad opening and sidewalls of the ILD layer in the trench. Further, the second passivation layer has a low permeability for moisture or vapor relative to the ILD layer.

Abstract: The method comprises forming a drain region in the first layer. The drain region is formed comprising a drain rectangular portion having a first end and a second end, a first drain end portion contiguous with the drain rectangular portion and extending from the first end of the drain rectangular portion away from a center of the drain region, and a second drain end portion contiguous with the drain rectangular portion and extending from the second end of the drain rectangular portion away from the center of the drain region. The method also comprises forming a source region free from contact with and surrounding the drain region in the first layer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a metal gate (e.g., a replacement metal gate (RMG) for a field effect transistor (FET) and a method of forming the metal gate. The method includes depositing a conformal dielectric layer to line a gate opening and performing a series of unclustered and clustered conformal metal deposition and chamfer processes to selectively adjust the heights of conformal metal layers within the gate opening. By selectively controlling the heights of the conformal metal layers, the method provides improved overall gate height control and gate quality particularly when the metal gate has a small critical dimension (CD) and/or a high aspect ratio (AR). The method can also include using different etch techniques during the different chamfer processes and, particularly, when different materials and/or different material interfaces are exposed to an etchant in order to ensure an essentially uniform etch rate of the conformal metal layer(s) at issue in a direction that is essentially vertical.

Abstract: Disclosed is a metal gate (e.g., a replacement metal gate (RMG) for a field effect transistor (FET) and a method of forming the metal gate. The method includes depositing a conformal dielectric layer to line a gate opening and performing a series of unclustered and clustered conformal metal deposition and chamfer processes to selectively adjust the heights of conformal metal layers within the gate opening. By selectively controlling the heights of the conformal metal layers, the method provides improved overall gate height control and gate quality particularly when the metal gate has a small critical dimension (CD) and/or a high aspect ratio (AR). The method can also include using different etch techniques during the different chamfer processes and, particularly, when different materials and/or different material interfaces are exposed to an etchant in order to ensure an essentially uniform etch rate of the conformal metal layer(s) at issue in a direction that is essentially vertical.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) comprising an enhanced passivation scheme for pad openings and trenches is provided. In some embodiments, an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer covers a substrate and at least partially defines a trench. The trench extends through the ILD layer from a top of the ILD layer to the substrate. A conductive pad overlies the ILD layer. A first passivation layer overlies the ILD layer and the conductive pad, and further defines a pad opening overlying the conductive pad. A second passivation layer overlies the ILD layer, the conductive pad, and the first passivation layer, and further lines sidewalls of the first passivation layer in the pad opening and sidewalls of the ILD layer in the trench. Further, the second passivation layer has a low permeability for moisture or vapor relative to the ILD layer.

Abstract: A high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) includes a first III-V compound layer, a second III-V compound layer over the first III-V compound layer, source and drain structures over the second III-V compound layer and spaced apart from each other, a gate structure over the second III-V compound layer and between the source and drain structures, a gate field plate over the second III-V compound layer and between the gate structure and the drain structure, and an etch stop layer over the drain structure and spaced apart from the gate field plate.

Abstract: A bipolar transistor includes a substrate having a first well with a first dopant type; and a split collector region in the substrate, the split collector region including a highly doped central region having the first dopant type, and a lightly doped peripheral region having a second dopant type, opposite the first dopant type, wherein the lightly doped peripheral region surrounds the highly doped central region, a dopant concentration of the lightly doped peripheral region ranges from about 5×1012 ions/cm3 to about 5×1013 ions/cm3, and the lightly doped peripheral region has a same maximum depth as the highly doped central region.

Abstract: One illustrative method disclosed herein includes forming a conformal SMCM layer above a conformal high-k gate insulation layer within each of first and second replacement gate cavities (RGC), removing the SMCM layer from the first RGC while leaving the SMCM layer in position within the second RGC, forming a first conformal metal-containing material (MCM) layer above the gate insulation layer within the first RGC and above the SMCM layer in position within the second RGC, removing the first conformal MCM layer and the conformal SMCM layer positioned within the second RGC while leaving the first conformal MCM layer within the first RGC, and forming a second conformal MCM layer above the first conformal MCM layer positioned within the first RGC and above the gate insulation layer positioned within the second RGC.

Abstract: One illustrative integrated circuit product disclosed herein includes a short-channel transistor device and a long-channel transistor device formed above a semiconductor substrate, wherein a first gate structure for the short-channel transistor device includes a short-channel WFM layer with a first upper surface that is positioned at a first distance above an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate, and wherein a second gate structure for the long-channel transistor device includes a long-channel WFM layer with a second upper surface that is positioned at a second distance above the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

Abstract: A light source module adapted to provide a superposition structured pattern includes a light emitting device adapted to provide a light beam, a light guiding element including a polarizing beam splitter to separate the light beam into a first light beam and a second light beam, a first diffractive element configured to convert the first light beam into a first structured light, and a second diffractive element configured to convert the second light beam into a second structured light. Polarization states of the first light beam and the second light beam are different. The first and second structured lights are projected into a projection region, and overlapped and imaged as a superposition structured pattern. The projection region has sub-projection regions arranged in a matrix and adjacent to each other, and the pattern distribution of the superposition structured pattern in each sub-projection region is different from each other.

Abstract: A method for operating a LiDAR system in an automobile that can include sending light pulses toward an object; receiving analog sensor data from an optical sensor measuring the light pulses reflected off the object; digitizing the analog sensor data using an analog to digital conversion system having a first sampling rate to generate a first set of processed sensor data and using a time to digital conversion system having a second sampling rate that is greater than the first sampling rate to generate a second set of processed sensor data; selecting the first set of processed sensor data when the analog sensor data is beneath a threshold signal to noise ratio; selecting the second set of processed sensor data when the analog sensor data exceeds the threshold signal to noise ratio; and calculating a range between the LiDAR system and the object by extracting time of flight data from the selected set of processed sensor data.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide receivers for a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) scanner. The receiver includes a photodetector configured to receive a laser beam, and convert the received laser beam to an electrical signal including a plurality of pulses. The receiver also includes an amplifier configured to amplify the electrical signal. The receiver further includes a pulse equalizer configured to sharpen the plurality of pulses in the amplified electrical signal. Each pulse is sharpened to have a narrower width and an increased amplitude.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first III-V compound layer, a second III-V compound layer over the first III-V compound layer, a source contact and a drain contact over the second III-V compound layer, a gate contact over the second III-V compound layer and between the source contact and the drain contact, a gate field plate over the second III-V compound layer, a first etch stop layer over the source contact, and a second etch stop layer over the drain contact and separated from the first etch stop layer.

Abstract: A method of making a bipolar transistor includes patterning a first photoresist over a collector region of the bipolar transistor, the first photoresist defining a first opening. The method further includes performing a first implantation process through the first opening. The method further includes patterning a second photoresist over the collector region, the second photoresist defining a second opening different from the first opening. The method further includes performing a second implantation process through the second opening, wherein a dopant concentration resulting from the second implantation process is different from a dopant concentration resulting from the first implantation process.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to a cut inside a replacement metal gate trench to mitigate n-p proximity effects and methods of manufacture. The structure described herein includes: a first device; a second device, adjacent to the first device; a dielectric material, of the first device and the second device, including a cut within a trench between the first device and the second device; and a common gate electrode shared with the first device and the second device, the common gate electrode provided over the dielectric material and contacting underlying material within the cut.

Abstract: The method comprises forming a drain region in the first layer. The drain region is formed comprising a drain rectangular portion having a first end and a second end, a first drain end portion contiguous with the drain rectangular portion and extending from the first end of the drain rectangular portion away from a center of the drain region, and a second drain end portion contiguous with the drain rectangular portion and extending from the second end of the drain rectangular portion away from the center of the drain region. The method also comprises forming a source region free from contact with and surrounding the drain region in the first layer.

Abstract: The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to a wafer cassette system. The wafer cassette system includes a wafer cassette includes a first plurality of wafer slots respectively having a first width. An adaptive inset is fastened to the wafer cassette in a rigid connection. The adaptive inset includes a second plurality of wafer slots respectively having a second width that is less than the first width. The second plurality of wafer slots are configured to receive a substrate after the adaptive inset has been fastened to the wafer cassette.

Abstract: The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to a method of transporting a semiconductor wafer. The method includes transferring a semiconductor wafer into a first wafer slot of a second plurality of wafer slots within an adaptive inset. The adaptive inset is arranged within an interior cavity of a wafer cassette having a first plurality of wafer slots while transferring the semiconductor wafer into the first wafer slot. The wafer cassette and the adaptive inset are transported into a loading port of a semiconductor processing tool configured to perform a fabrication process on the semiconductor wafer.